Program Spotlights
- Chinook Salmon Return to Our Watershed
News & Announcements
- Thank You to Our Generous Community
- November and December Rainfall Updates
- Staff Spotlight: Ruby Stahel
In Case You Missed It
- Napa Valley Museum Seeks Community Input
- Making the Connection: Soil Biology & Soil Health Open for Registration
Upcoming Programs
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Chinook Salmon Return to Our Watershed
by Martin Perales, PhD, Napa RCD Environmental Scientist
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This year's rainy season has gotten off to a very unique start. We had record drought conditions and a record rainfall event, back-to-back. The October storm brought some relief to a parched landscape and much needed flows for our fish.
Each winter, after several storms have occurred, Napa RCD's environmental scientists either kayak or walk in the mainstem of the Napa River and look for live Chinook salmon, carcasses, and redds, which are spawning nests. Chinook salmon are anadromous fish that live most of their adult lives in the ocean, and then return to freshwater systems, like the Napa River, to spawn. We conduct these surveys as part our Napa River Fish Monitoring Program, which is designed to help us understand long-term trends in the overall health of our aquatic resources.
After the October storm, once the water levels dropped enough to safely paddle (late November), we conducted a kayak survey from Yountville Cross Road down to Oak Knoll Avenue.
We only saw a single Chinook salmon; we did not see any carcasses or redds.
However, we know adult Chinooks were in our watershed in November thanks to fabulous community members who reported sightings to us. We received reports of adults in Tulucay, Dry, Sulphur, and Garnett Creeks, and in the Napa River near Calistoga.
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So, what is going on?
Clearly, some members of the Chinook salmon population were staged in the estuary when the October storms hit, and entered our watershed shortly thereafter. Based on our surveys, it appears that they were able to push far into the watershed before spawning, leaving the mainstem relatively empty of adults, carcasses, or redds.
So, does that mean we don't have any idea how many Chinook salmon ended up spawning in the watershed?
No! This is a great Segway (🛴) into the other main study we complete as part of our Fish Monitoring Program. Each spring, we sample the Napa River for juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead trout on their way to the ocean using a rotary screw trap. If we see many smolts, that suggests we had abundant spawning activity in the watershed.
Why should we care so much about salmon and trout?
Salmon and trout have been running our local streams for tens of thousands of years and the function of the watershed is linked with the health of their populations. Salmon and trout are known as keystone species because they have an outsized influence on how well the ecosystem functions. For instance, scientists think of salmon and other anadromous fish as ‘nutrient pumps’, which is to say that they move marine-derived nutrients into streams and riparian habitats. The salmonid carcasses enhance the food web for their own juveniles, nourish scavenger populations, and fertilize riparian plant communities.
Stay tuned for the annual fish report that comes out in July, and if the river is running, we'll invite you all to see fish first-hand at the rotary screw trap this spring!
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Thank You to Our Generous Community |
This year, all of us here at Napa RCD have been blown away by your generosity and support of our programs, and we can't say thank you enough!
With the help of our Board of Directors, we were able to offer not just a Board Match but also weekly incentive prizes that a few of you were lucky enough to win! And let us not forget our always-supportive partners at The Monkey Flower Group, donating small bouquets to every single donor.
We have much to be thankful for this year, so without further fanfare, we're excited to say that 88 members of our community helped us raise $10,214!
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These funds will help all of us here at Napa RCD continue to provide high-quality, science-based programming about the natural resources we have here in Napa County.
Some of our wonderful supporters donated in other ways this year as well, and we'd like to extend a huge thank you to those who donated through our website, donated time, and donated expertise.
If you missed the Give!Guide deadline, you can always donate to Napa RCD at the button at the bottom of this email, or through our website!
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November & December Rainfall Summaries
Paul Blank, Napa RCD Environmental Scientist
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November
November brought four small storms and five days of measurable rainfall to the Napa Valley. Rainfall totals at the County ALERT monitoring stations (napa.onerain.com) were below average for the month, ranging between 1.4 to 3.1 inches, approximately 6% of mean annual precipitation. On average, we get 11% of our annual rainfall during the month of November.
As of December 1, we received approximately 39% of our annual rainfall, well above the long-term average of 16% for this time of year thanks to exceptional October rains. Seasonal rainfall totals at the rain gauges ranged between 10 inches (Mt. George) and 20.1 inches (Mt. Veeder).
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December
December brought above-average precipitation to the Napa Valley with fifteen days of measurable rainfall recorded at most Napa County ALERT monitoring stations (napa.onerain.com). Totals ranged from 7.8 to 13.8 inches during the month, approximately 29% of mean annual precipitation. On average, we get 20% of our annual rainfall during the month of December.
So far in Water Year 2021-22 (beginning October 1), we’ve received approximately 67% of our annual rainfall, well above the long-term average of 36% for this time of year. Seasonal rainfall totals at the rain gauges range between 17.8 inches (Mt. George) and 33.9 inches (Mt. Veeder).
All of this rain has improved local drought conditions by two categories in recent weeks according to the National Weather Service, from the “Exceptional” drought that persisted from May through November 2021, to “Extreme”, and now to “Severe” drought. Drought conditions are expected to remain but improve, with equal chances of above or below normal precipitation predicted by NOAA through the season.
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Staff Spotlight:
Ruby Stahel, Conservation Project Manager
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To start the year off, we'd like to take a moment to feature Ruby Stahel, Napa RCD's Conservation Project Manager!
Ruby’s background is in the field of Conservation Biology, which aims at protecting the biodiversity of species, habitats, and ecosystems. What makes this type of work interesting and exciting in Napa is that we have an incredibly diverse landscape and are also in a prime wine growing region that is intensely farmed.
Ruby is passionate about working with Napa farmers to implement management practices that increase sustainability and consider the whole agroecosystem.
“There is a lot of value when someone works in harmony with nature to strike a balance, rather than fighting against it constantly.”
Ruby works on many different projects throughout the year. She often provides technical assistance related to erosion control and plans habitat restoration for pollinators and riparian areas. One of the projects Ruby is looking forward to this year is planting more Western Monarch breeding and migratory habitat on working lands through several grants.
Ruby joined Napa RCD in September 2019. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies and a MS in Conservation Biology. She grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks English and Spanish fluently. She is also a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control.
In her spare time, Ruby loves being out in nature. Her favorite place is the beach where you will find her surfing or fishing off the rocky shoreline!
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Napa Valley Museum Seeking
Community Input for New Exhibit
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The Napa Valley Museum Yountville is mounting a show that will focus on people's connection to the Napa River and a bit of the history and nature of the river.
They are inviting the community to share a photo or photos, historic or contemporary, along with a short descriptive paragraph. In your description, please tell the Museum the approximate location of the photo and what your connection is to the place; what makes this part of the river important or special to you?
The Museum would love to hear from birders, people who fish, stand-up paddle boarders, boaters, hikers, and people who commune or meditate on or near the river.
Please note: by submitting your photo(s) and writings, you are granting the Napa Valley Museum Yountville permission to use said content for display and marketing purposes.
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Making the Connection:
Soil Biology & Soil Health
with North Coast Soil Hub and Sonoma RCD
Feb 10 • 9-10:30am • Zoom
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Join the Soil Hub and Sonoma RCD for a presentation from Dr. Jennifer Moore, Research Soil Scientist at USDA-ARS, about soil microbial community composition, the impacts of drought and heat on soil organisms, and how soil organisms respond to different management practices. |
Following Dr. Moore’s presentation, she’ll be joined by Dr. Kerri Steenwerth (Research Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS) and Dr. Jacob Parnell (Product Specialist, Biome Makers, Inc.) for a panel discussion on soil biology in agriculture, and to field questions from attendees.
This event is free and a Zoom link will be shared with all who register.
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Did you know that we have a separate email list for volunteers? |
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Help support Napa RCD - Donate Today!
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Napa County Resource Conservation District | 707-252-4189 | NapaRCD.org
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